Calusa Waterkeeper 25th Anniversary Commemorative Report

2019 was a banner year for CWK. On January 9, we were notified that we had received a $20,000 Community Impact Grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation to support our work on Water Quality and Public Health. On January 21, CWK produced a Town Hall on policy, regulation and legislation at Broadway Palm, again with expert panelists. Then, on March 16, CWK graduated 15 new Rangers. Aside the accomplishments listed above, in 2019, we achieved: 734 Water quality tests / 103 Media interviews with the Waterkeeper / 1736 New FB “likes” / 1862 New FB “followers” / 7 Comments on Agency Actions / 38 New Rangers / 38 Community presentations / and 5,000 Attendees at CWK events. August 5 saw the premier of CWK’s heralded documentary “TROUBLED WATERS - Public Health Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms” before another sold-out house at Broadway Palm with a high-powered panel of experts who had appeared in the film [CONTD.] The next month, CWK undertook its most ambitious program to date; “The Big Calusa” with 5 events spread over seven days from Earth Day April 22 to April 28 th . Mayor Randall P. Henderson of Fort Myers, proclaimed it “Big Calusa Week.” The Big Calusa included a launch event at Millennial Brewing, a mid- week Calusa Culture Night, a walking tour of a filter marsh, an all-day water festival, and an awards ceremony at the Edison Ford Estates, capped off by our annual member dinner (graciously offered by Pincher’s Marina owner, Grant Phelan) with keynote speech by former Congressman and Chair of the South Florida Water Management District, Chauncey Goss. On May 23, CWK entered into its second petition again with Center for Biological Diversity and with Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), suing the FDEP to protect the public from toxins in the harmful algal blooms that keep reoccurring in the state. On June 11, Cassani released the first of his popular “Words from the Waterkeeper” videos, which are now a staple of Calusa Waterkeeper’s public information campaign. including Dr. Paul Alan Cox, Dr. Larry Brand, Dr. David A. Davis, Dr. Parisima Taeb, Dr. Howard Simon, Dr. Robert Zarranz, Holley Rauen (RN) and our own Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani. In October, CWK held two public premieres of TROUBLED WATERS at the Silverspot theatres in Naples and Miami. Both included expert panel Q&A. On October 10, CWK conducted ifs first continuing medical education (CME) course at Lee Health, taught by medical doctor and CWK Ranger, Dr. Robert Zarranz, to inform doctors and nurses of the public health risks of HABs. On November 5, CWK graduated 26 new Rangers bringing the Ranger corps up to our current count of 84 Rangers. On November 23, reprising one of the most popular programs from The Big Calusa, CWK held its 2 nd Annual Calusa Culture Night.